‘VTC Independent School aims to ensure that all pupils have access to an appropriate curriculum to ensure they achieve their potential and are not disadvantaged in comparison to their peers who access education in mainstream settings’

Vocational Training Centre (VTC) Independent School is for pupils with behavioural, social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) difficulties who have either been permanently excluded or at risk of being permanently excluded from school. Currently this school caters for, up to 24 students from the ages 14 to 18.

It is common for the students to have been out of education for long periods of time before placement at VTC, and this is either due to not being able to access or engage in their mainstream provision, or due to lack of any appropriate provision being available. As a result, they usually have complex co-morbid needs alongside low self-esteem and confidence due to continued failure to engage or progress their learning, this predominantly manifests itself in very challenging behaviour and even more barriers to overcome.

VTC therefore offer learning pathways that are multifaceted, personalised and motivating in order to engage in new learning opportunities including highly specialised vocational offers (engineering), work experience, community project work and outdoor wellbeing interventions supported by a core of academic studies in a nurturing environment.

Their previous poor attendance levels, allied to long periods out of school will be tackled with personalised programmes which will increase their attendance over time. The ethos of the school is to provide a positive learning environment that will ensure this is monitored and informed over time. The impact of this is that pupil attendance looks low but, they are gradually improving their attendance from baseline levels over time and engaging in an appropriate curriculum.

The biggest influence in changing these behaviours is impacted by the amount of time given to meeting the pupils social and emotional needs are met through high staffing levels and personalised interventions and strategies. Liaison with parents, carers, LA, and other agencies is hugely important in the success of the placement.

Most students come into the school within key stage 4 and the intention is for all pupils to leave the school with a positive destination pathway, so the school will ensure that either a purposeful further education training pathway is found or the guarantee of a place in an apprenticeship route organised by the school. On some occasions work placements can be found.

Additionally, the pupils will leave with a range of qualifications that match their requirements for their onward transition including core functional skills and vocational courses at level 1 +.